“If you don’t design the culture, people will design it for themselves”
How would you define “culture”?
The essence of culture is how we behave in accordance with sort of unwritten laws. Culture is not only about national cultures, it’s about companies, different parts of the same company, even different floors of a building. It’s important for leaders to design the culture. If you don’t design it, people will design it for themselves. This can mean that different cultures will emerge, and that can be a problem. As the management expert Peter Drucker said: “culture eats strategy for breakfast”.
What are the typical problems created by culture?
I think it’s all about different expectations. If you don’t talk, people think they have the right expectations and the same expectations. But then suddenly, you find out that expectations are different. I had this myself once with a manager, in fact. He came and told me what he wanted me to do when I started. And for me, this was micromanagement. And I told him, “You’ve hired me to do all of this. If you want a junior to micromanage, why do you need me?” He was surprised and said he didn’t want to micromanage me. He wanted to help me. But I told him in Sweden, we just need the big picture, and then we decide the how. And he was actually very grateful, and said, “But no one told me before. Now I understand”.
Just talking, that seems very simple.
It’s simple to say, but very hard to do. People often think it’s a waste of time. They don’t see that what is obvious to them it not obvious to others. And, although I don’t have any real evidence, I think it’s more difficult for men. They think they know everything. They’ll say, “I’ve been a manager for 25 years. Why do I need to waste my time clarifying and discussing?”
What is the most important cultural competence for leaders to develop?
I think it’s a positive mindset. You need to remember that 99 per cent of the people around you want to do a good job. People don’t wake up and say, “I want people to hate me; I want to make my colleague’s life hell”. People are like you — they want to be liked and do a good job. That means that when we start to argue about something, and begin to disagree, it’s not because the others are bad people. It’s because they have another perspective, another expectation, or maybe it’s the same expectation and there’s a misunderstanding, something hasn’t been discussed properly. So, just discuss it positively and openly, understand the other person and find a way through it.
The pressure of work means that there often doesn’t seem to be enough time to discuss all these things.
True, but if you don’t talk about them, it takes more energy and costs more. People get tired and demotivated and deliver only 60 per cent. But if you make an effort to build a positive communication culture, you can get closer to 100 per cent over time. Yes, you need to focus on strategy and getting things done. But it’s like a computer: if you have hardware, you need to have software. The organization’s structures and processes are the hardware, and culture, feelings and communication are the software. One doesn’t work without the other.
commitment to change and the ability to adapt your behaviour to that of others. This could simply mean “mirroring” their behaviour — for example by adopting their way of speaking or listening. It may also mean adopting new forms of behaviour, such as the intensive use of clarification in order to reduce the risk of misunderstandings occurring.
Co-create a culture with others. The fifth level is about encouraging people to join you in creating a new, relevant and dynamic working culture that can support high performance. This may mean agreeing on how decisions are made, which channels of communication are used (and how), expectations around taking part in team social events, and the avoidance of destructive behaviours, such as gossip. Leaders also need to promote an international perspective and focus on preventing microcultures and silos from developing.
What to think about: If you had the power to decide five rules as part of a new culture for your international meetings, what would those rules be and why? Discuss them at your next meeting and see how successfully you can sell your ideas.
d) Viewing conflict as a cultural opportunity
Leaders need to engage positively with the inevitable tensions and conflicts that arise in organizations, as these can undermine efforts to create a high-performing culture (see table 2 below). Understanding the causes, risks and opportunities of conflict can help to improve communication and effectiveness. What to think about: Which conflicts do you see as potential risks to positive international collaboration? How could you manage these risks effectively to turn them into opportunities?
e) Viewing culture-building as a continuous process
Culture-building is a continuous process. Norms constantly need to adapt to
changing contexts: new market opportunities, new technologies, new personalities, etc. Leaders, a bit like farmers, need to carefully cultivate an environment in which people can thrive. Reward and recognition mechanisms support the culture. And a learning philosophy needs to be part of the culture, with time, energy and resources given to feedback and developmental measures such as training, coaching autonomous learning and the creative use of job rotation to give people growth opportunities. Recruitment practices also need to link to cultural values. Otherwise, carefully developed growth cultures can wither quickly as “pests” enter who destroy the healthy environment. “Weeding” may also be part of maintaining a healthy culture — removing those who will not or cannot play a constructive role.
What to think about: Which processes could support the development and maintenance of a positive international culture in your workplace? What can you do to get them implemented?
4. Your responsibility
Culture is the sum of all the thoughts, feelings, actions and practices adopted by individuals together. It is a leader’s responsibility — together with their team — to develop a healthy working culture. So what thoughts, feelings, behaviours and new practices can you bring to your organization to enrich its culture and help drive performance? If you don’t have an answer, you need to find one as soon as possible.
THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO CREATE A HEALTHY CULTURE